The Heart and the Mind
by FreakinGodzilla
Summary: An appeal. Sarah must choose between her heart and her mind. A champion or a queen. What will she choose? One-shot.


**The Heart and the Mind**

 **Hello, everyone! Still working on Menace - just decided to spit this one-shot out real quick.**

 **I don't own The Labyrinth or any of its characters!**

 **Please leave a review or favorite. Thank you.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy.**

* * *

She marched forward.

The walls of the labyrinth towered on either side of the young woman. Her features were dark and determined. Thick brows furrowed over almond shaped green eyes.

The sounds of footsteps followed her. Boots marching in time with her - whether intentional or not, she did not know.

* * *

" _Champion of the Labyrinth." His gloved hands settled together. Eyes flashing in the dark. He held an aura of something dangerous. The warmth of her childhood bedroom had suddenly been reduced to chilling bursts of icy air._

 _Or was that just her imagination? She felt her heart tighten in her chest._

" _You are the goblin's only hope…"_

* * *

He sat on the throne.

She expected something - anything - a sarcastic remark, a twitch of an eyebrow, or for him simply to drop her headfirst into the bog. Sarah tensed and held her breath.

His features were stoic. Cold blue eyes roaming over the crowd of his traitorous subjects. Frown lines marred his strikingly beautiful aristocratic face, but otherwise, his expression was stoic. Almost… bored.

His eyes slid to the clock on the wall behind Sarah and a wave of anger overcame her. _How dare he not care? After everything he's done… How dare he have no sense of shame?_

The room was silent. Enough so that her thoughts seemed almost deafening. A prickling sense of fear fell over Sarah.

"Ah, I see my little dreamer has made her way back. I always knew your sense of fairness would get you further into trouble."

Sarah huffed and straightened her spine. He would not make a fool of her. Not in front of them.

She would not let him know that she could feel the control of the situation slipping from her fingertips. Though the very same feeling had swept up the majority of the angry mob, not everyone felt it, as was made obvious when a tall goblin pointed at the King with a stubby finger and broke the silence.

"You, _King_ , will pay for your tyranny."

The Goblin King threw back his head and let a startlingly loud laugh.

* * *

 _The being before her reached up and gripped her chin gently in his gloved hand. Sarah tore her face away from him in a display of defiance, but when she turned back to gaze at him her lips were parted in awe._

" _This mirror shows you the sins of the Goblin King," he said._

 _An elaborate handheld mirror was held up before her. Instead of displaying a reflection of thick eyebrows, sweeping dark hair, pale skin and no doubt reddened cheeks, it showed a man that she had not seen in years._

 _A baby stealer._

 _A man of hedonistic impulse._

 _A king with a cool indifference to his subjects pleas._

 _A being of great power. Too much power for one to wield._

 _The images finished. Then finished as quickly as they had begun. Sarah was surprised to see her own reflection once again. She was silent for a moment. The air was still. It seemed as if the universe was waiting for her to push it into action._

 _Her green eyes flashed to the fae behind the mirror. The drive to bring justice swelling in her heart. "What would you have me do?"_

 _He smiled._

 _Goblins that crept in the shadows, forgotten by their very own master, snickered gleefully._

* * *

"You seem to think your little goblin army is a match for me? It is pathetic, Sarah. I expected more from you."

"You're a vile monster," Sarah accused. The goblins behind her hissed in agreement.

The Goblin King raised an eyebrow. He leaned back on his throne and stretched his arms across to relax on the bone-like armrests. "Tell me what you're accusing me of before I banish every single one of you into a cold, forgotten oubliette." His voice was calm but it raised the hairs on her arms.

* * *

" _This." He held up an artifact by a string. The pendant held an otherworldly glow. It swung in the air, dancing before her eyes. "This has the power to fully cripple any being of magic. All you have to do is touch his skin and he'll have no power over you."_

" _He already has no power over me."_

" _But that's where you're wrong, young mortal." He shook his head. His eyes shone with some unidentified emotion. "As long as he has his magic he will always have power over you. You've only made it so that he cannot interfere with you or your family again, but should you place yourself in harm's way… You cannot be saved without this. And I cannot turn him in without your help. Only a mortal can touch and wield this pendant. I am no match for him without you."_

" _So it will take his magic away?" she whispered to herself. Sarah pulled back. "Why should I believe anything you say?"_

" _Shall I show you the mirror again?" He pulled it out from behind his back. The reflection of the moonlight from her bedroom window almost blinded her as it slid across the surface of the reflection. "I come on account of the High Court. We have our reasons, we only need our champion."_

 _Sarah frowned. "Will it… Will they hurt him?"_

 _He smiled. It was filled with pity. "I believe you've had quite a nasty experience with the man himself. Something about a stolen brother-"_

" _-I wished him away." She found herself defending him. Odd that._

 _He ignored her. "Why do you hold any sentiment for a being that has caused your own flesh and blood such danger?" He effectively silenced her._

 _Sarah pursed her lips thoughtfully. Then her eyes hardened and she raised her jaw. "I will not hurt him."_

" _Very well. He will come into no physical harm, unless prompted, of course. We need only to detain him and..._ prevent _him from ascending to the throne again."_

" _Who will take his place?" Sarah asked. He cocked his head and gave her an odd look. She fidgeted and continued. "I won't help take down a tyrant only for another one to take his place."_

 _His features softened and he gave her a smile full of white, perfect teeth. He raised the pendant up to her._

* * *

"I'm here under the High Courts orders," Sarah said.

"The high court?" Jareth tilted his head up thoughtfully. "Since when do they have any jurisdiction over me?"

"You've been charged with _terrible_ things," Sarah whispered, remembering the images in the mirror.

Something in her voice made him straighten. His eyes intently settled on hers, pausing and searching them. She tried her best to meet his gaze head-on. He seemed to find something that made his lips tighten. His features hardened and became sharper.

"How _dare_ you believe them, Sarah."

Sarah blinked and took a step back in shock. He was angry. She had expected it, but… not like this. Out of fear, out of righteousness or determination, she wasn't sure looking back, Sarah reached into her pocket and began to pull out the pendant.

His eyes flickered to her hand. The goblins leaned forwards in anticipation. None willing to strike until they were sure they could.

"Stop."

She froze.

"Tell me why I shouldn't," Sarah said. Her voice was not angry or hardened like she had expected it. It was breathy and defeated.

"Because you are only a pawn of a much larger game."

"I wouldn't be for long." She hadn't said _won't_. Sarah noticed her own choice of words. Felt her own indecision deep down in her chest. Where her heart beat.

"The High Court has no jurisdiction here because I am a solitary kingdom, Sarah. They would very much like to see it back in their power. What better way than to appoint the naive _Champion_ as their own puppet?"

Sarah swallowed. "That still doesn't account for your wrongdoings, Goblin King."

"Jareth," he corrected. "If you are to take my throne from me, the least you could do is grant me equal respect as a being."

Sarah was silent. Shame began to pool within her. She pushed it away. This was the right thing to do, wasn't it?

He continued, "The fae of the High Court are, if not _more_ , guilty of such crimes as I. Did you stop to think that the morality of the human race is not something equally shared between realms? My race has different standards than yours. Your kind heart has been taken advantage of."

" _No_ …"

"What I've done is nothing unusual to my kind."

"But the things he showed me," she interrupted. "There is no excuse for that anywhere."

"Showed you?"

"In a mirror," she said.

His eyes bore into hers again. He raised a gloved hand, a crystal appearing on the tips of his graceful fingers. The Goblin King's eyes slid from hers to the sphere in his hand.

Sarah felt the memories of his sins come to the front of her mind. Led by some invisible force. She tried hard to stifle them but to no avail.

He concentrated on the crystal before him. His mouth set in a grim line. Arched eyebrows furrowed.

The goblins behind her began to fidget. Whispers filled the circular throne room. Sarah no longer felt as though she aligned with the tyrannical monarch before her or the mutinous subjects beside her.

The goblins plotted without her.

Their scratchy voices rose.

" _Is she going to do it?"_

" _I'll take the pendant from her."_

" _They're both traitors."_

" _Why hasn't she moved."_

The sound of glass shattering startled the room into silence. Sarah's eyes flew back to the Goblin King. Shards of the crystal he had held were at his feet. He was upright in his throne, fist clenched and tense shoulders. His eyes bore down on the room with unspoken fury.

"A convincing story, Sarah."

Then the goblins around her disappeared before they could so much as yell out. Where they had been sent, she did not know. Nor did she want to.

"It was not true."

So he had used the crystal to peer into her memories. Invasive, really, but she _had_ started it. The images of all his wrongdoings playing before him had ignited him with rage, but could he be telling the truth? Could she really be the one in the wrong here?

"But how-"

"-A glamour." His voice was stern. Terrible. His frame shook with boiling rage.

Her fist tightened around the pendant in her pocket. "I don't know who to believe anymore. Your subjects-"

"Are nothing more than idiotic sheep. They will follow whoever spins the most intriguing tale. But eventually, they all fall in line."

"You don't help your case."

He shrugged. "I asked you to 'trust to me' years ago. You did not. Why should I believe you would choose to do so now?"

"There was no way I could've trusted you all those years ago. You had stolen my brother." Like him, her patience was running out. Her voice was laced with frustration and accusation.

"And what will you do this time?"

She let out a shaky breath, trying to calm her nerves. "I don't know."

"A pity they chose someone as indecisive and oblivious as you."

Sarah inhaled. Her green eyes flashing. Before she had realized what she had done, she had withdrawn the pendant from her pocket and flung it across the room from them. It hit the stone wall to her left and fell to the floor with a loud clatter. A shard of rock came loose from the wall with it. The surface of the pendant was dented. She hadn't expected the force of the throw to be that strong, but that thing _was_ heavy.

" _Shut up_ ," she snapped. "You want to push me into making a decision, huh? Did you want me to strike you down in your own self-pity? Or did you want me to apologize and relent and walk away with my tail between my legs in shame? What do you want me to do? What do you want, _Jareth_?"

"I want it."

"What?" She asked. His wistful tone had set her off balance.

She'd been oblivious to his lithe figure during her angry tangent. He'd straightened, piercing icy eyes flickering from her to the forgotten pendant across the room, then they'd settled on her with a strange finality held within them. The Goblin King leaned forward in his throne. His posture no longer aloof, but straightened, and his face was grave.

"I want it," he said again. "I want the famous Sarah Williams unfaltering love. That kind you hold reserved for your _friends_ and the boy. I want your brave loyalty, your fear, and your love."

Sarah was speechless. She parted her mouth and her brows were furrowed. What could she say to that? She thought it would be hypocritical to tell him that he could not always get what he wanted. And not true, either, because his words had spoken to something within her soul, her chest, and she just felt like fading into him.

The fight left her.

"I don't understand you," she breathed. "I don't even trust you."

He stood, his sharp features softened, and took a few steps towards her. The sound of his heels the only thing either could hear until he spoke again. Beckoning. "Place your faith in me, Sarah. _Trust to me_."

She felt cornered and took another step away from him.

He changed his tactic. "They would have you steal the throne from me, but it would all be for naught. I assume they promised you the power to change the rules. The power to rule over my kingdom with a just and moral hand. To put a stop to my supposed tyranny."

"Yes."

"Then they lied to you. You would be under their control. A puppet. After all, though you are the Champion, you _are_ only mortal. But I could offer you more, Sarah."

He swept in closer. His long strides too quick for Sarah to counter. The King of the Goblins was so close to her that she could feel the heat of his body on her skin. She could smell earth. And something else sweet and spicy. Like cinnamon. He was _too_ close.

Jareth raised a gloved hand near her cheek. A shiny sphere appeared there, the light reflecting onto her pale skin. "You've run my labyrinth twice now. Led an army to my castle doors both times. I offer you the true power to change the rules, Sarah. You have earned it. Rule beside me. Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave to command."

Sarah licked her lips. Her eyes avoided the crystal that was so close to her face. She looked at him and set her jaw. "I will not steal innocent children." After all, that was the one crime she _knew_ he _was_ guilty of.

He pressed in closer to her. His eyes beseeching hers. "As I said, I offer you the power to put an end to that. Only fight for me, for my kingdom, and both are yours to rule."

She took a deep breath. Indecision warring in her mind. Her lips parted to answer him.

"Madoc," she whispered.

Jareth reeled back.

* * *

" _What do I do after I dismantle him?" Sarah asked after a moment. Her green eyes cast downward at the pendant in her hands. The sudden power over the Goblin King she held did not sit lightly in her chest._

" _You call me to you - only say my name - and I'll come to turn him in."_

" _What is your name?" Sarah raised a thick, dark eyebrow. Her green eyes studying him beneath her lashes._

" _Madoc."_

* * *

It took her only a second to act. The element of surprise on her mind. No doubt Jareth would have liked to make a big show of it - no, she was about efficiency. Sarah rushed, jumped and slid towards the pendant on the ground.

Jareth sneered down at her once she had it in her hands. "So this is your decision?" He asked, icy venom coating his words.

"Jareth, defend yourself," Sarah barked out her warning, effectively stunning the Goblin King.

She had not expected their meeting to go this way, but now that it was, she had to make sure that her next few moves were fast.

The pendant felt heavy and cool in her hands.

A fae man appeared before the throne. The same man that had appeared to her in her bedroom only three nights ago. He looked momentarily surprised.

"Sarah." Madoc cocked his head, a confused smile splayed across his face. "Do you need help?" His eyes slid between Jareth's defensive stance and Sarah's position on the floor.

"Yes," she cried in a fake exasperated voice. Madoc, ever the hero, rose to the occasion. Sarah stealthily slid back behind the two fae men as they faced each other. Preparing her move.

"Your days as King are over, Jareth." Madoc spit near his feet.

Jareth stood aloof and tilted his mouth in a disgusted face. His eyes flickered to the girl behind the fae. She stood tall, brave, with the pendant in her hands.

"A pity, Madoc, that we will not be able to continue this conversation at another time," Jareth said and right on queue, Sarah smashed the pendant on the back of Madoc's head.

To Sarah's surprise, the pendant stuck to his skin. She let go, a frown on her face, and took a step back as Madoc tumbled to the floor in agony.

He twisted and writhed on the stone. Cries of pain piercing Sarah's eardrums. Her green eyes flickered to Jareth's proud ones in shock. That was what they had wanted her to do to him. Madoc had bent the truth when saying that the High Court would not hurt Jareth, _she_ would have been the one to do so.

His cries died down after a few minutes. Sarah stood over him, her shoulders tense. She hadn't wanted to hurt anyone, really. Sarah almost regretted what she had done. Almost.

Jareth stepped over the barely conscious fae's body towards Sarah. "So you've made your choice?"

Sarah blinked. "How can you not care? Look at him." Sarah pointed to Madoc.

He rolled his eyes. "They were out for my head, is how. Really, Sarah. It must be exhausting to feel empathy for _every_ passing creature you encounter. Even the ruthless ones."

Her shoulders dropped. "I should not have gotten caught in the middle of this."

"No harm was done, Sarah. Pride yourself in that you've prevented war for at least another century. The fae is a bored race, but they will take the hint when I send their friend back in a comatose state."

"How long will he stay like that?"

"About a decade." He shrugged. Jareth caught her look and his gloved hands came up to gently grasp her upper arms. "All will be fine, Sarah. He-"

"-No, you're right. He wanted me to do that to you. He said that it wouldn't hurt you and he lied." Sarah looked down at him. "I think he'll have enough time to think on that."

Jareth tsked, an amused smile gracing his handsome sharp features. "So cruel, Sarah."

She pulled back as if to argue. Cruel? She didn't want to be cruel.

" _And_ intolerably kind. You are a confusing juxtaposition," he said before she could say any more. "So, have you made your choice? You can leave, or you can stay. Which will it be?"

Sarah looked at him. Saw the longing hidden in the depths of his icy eyes. She could see through his mask. His arrogant facade. Could see the subtle tilt in his arched eyebrows. He was worried.

Sarah looked around the throne room and pursed her lips. She'd made her decision a while ago. Known it in her heart this whole time.

"Well, this place _does_ need to be cleaned. And don't get me started on the state of the Goblin City."

"-Sarah," he warned.

She cocked her head, a warm smile on her lips. "I'll stay. Of course, I'll stay."

He let out a sigh of relief. An admission that she thought she'd never witness from him. Jareth pulled her into his arms, but instead of initiating the kiss it was Sarah that bravely reached forward and pressed her lips against his.

Although, he had no problem leading it from there.


End file.
